Expert tips for switching to a new phone

I’m in a lucky however uncommon place. As a reviewer for Android Authority, I change between the very best Android telephones — lots. I’m on a brand new gadget as typically as each different week throughout stretches of the yr like Techtember and Techtober. I do know it’s not a state of affairs many individuals can relate to, however my frequent jumps between gadgets have made me considerably of an skilled on organising a brand new Android cellphone. Whilst you in all probability received’t want the following pointers as typically as I do, right here’s what I’ve realized that makes altering Android telephones a breeze.

Earlier than we get to some recommendation, let’s contact on how I method altering telephones. For starters, I solely have one cellphone quantity and one major Google account. Once I’m reviewing a tool (or utilizing it past the evaluation interval), I would like it to really feel like my very own, not only a secondary gadget for work. Meaning I transfer my major SIM card and each day drive the evaluation gadget each time — with an additional headache for the few weeks I take advantage of an iPhone annually. I simply discover it simpler to get a sensible expertise of utilizing a evaluation gadget this manner.

On prime of that, I begin from scratch every time I arrange a brand new cellphone. Many individuals favor to revive their gadget from an present backup, however I see it as an opportunity to ditch the apps I don’t use and experiment with a brand new dwelling display. In spite of everything, switching from a conventional smartphone to a foldable cellphone ensures you’ll must reorganize your structure. I can nonetheless entry my record of apps by my Google account, however by manually putting in them, I discover it simpler to skip over apps I don’t use all that usually.

That’s about it so far as the technical technique of switching goes. There are a number of different steps in my method, however they fall into the recommendation class, so we’ll get to them down beneath.

Alright, so on to the necessary elements of switching Android telephones — the necessary life classes. You would possibly discover that you simply already do a few of these issues, which simply reveals that nice minds suppose alike. Hopefully, a few of the different ideas shall be new and might help you streamline your course of.

The primary and maybe most blatant, tip is to make use of a password supervisor. I used to memorize a stack of passwords when organising a brand new Android gadget earlier than I ultimately gave up and began managing my logins. Life simply will get difficult when it’s a must to bear in mind private and work passwords, particularly when you add particular characters and capital letters. Proper now, I’m utilizing Google Password Supervisor partly as a result of it’s free but additionally as a result of it syncs to my laptop computer and the cellphone I’m utilizing.

A dependable password supervisor is an integral a part of ranging from scratch every time I arrange a brand new cellphone. It implies that even when selecting apps from the lengthy record in my Google account, I do know my login is only a few faucets away. Positive, some apps can e mail you codes for one-time entry whenever you neglect a password, but it surely’s simpler to retailer them multi functional place. Simply ensure you select a dependable password supervisor, and take a couple of minutes to test for any previous knowledge breaches.

This tip is a little more necessary if you happen to’re maintaining your previous cellphone, but it surely’s an excellent reminder even if you happen to’re buying and selling it in. Pairing and organising equipment could be simply as time-consuming as organising your gadget itself, particularly if you happen to’re switching from Google to Samsung or from Android to iOS. Within the case of the latter, you would possibly discover that your Apple Watch or Pixel Watch doesn’t work the way you need it to, or within the case of the previous, you’ll want an additional wearables app to handle your settings.

Personally, I favor to make use of a Garmin watch because it’s one of the simplest ways to trace my each day runs and presents the very best battery life. The profit to Garmin is that it’s working system agnostic and usually saves all of my preferences, watch faces, and Garmin Pay playing cards upon setup. Nonetheless, I’ve additionally seen that Garmin doesn’t all the time need to hand over its connection to my earlier gadget. I don’t commerce evaluation gadgets to carriers after I’m executed, so my Forerunner 965 typically needs to drag notifications from a cellphone in my closet. It’s not a giant take care of apps like Telegram, however lacking texts and incoming calls is far more of a headache.

The identical logic applies when pairing earbuds or headphones. In case your previous cellphone nonetheless has a cost, your ‘buds would possibly attempt to decide up audio there slightly than hopping to your new cellphone. After all, a method round that is to verify your previous cellphone is useless earlier than pairing your earbuds, however it’s also possible to leap into your Bluetooth menu and delete your headphones from the saved gadgets if you happen to’re in a bit extra of a rush.

Fortunately, I’ve a number of pairs of wi-fi earbuds that pop up as saved gadgets after I arrange a brand new cellphone. Meaning my JBL Soundgear Sense and Pixel Buds Professional maintain the EQ profiles and noise canceling preferences that I already frolicked fine-tuning (pun supposed).

That mentioned, if you happen to’re leaping from one Pixel to a different or upgrading inside the Samsung Galaxy ecosystem, lots of your equipment ought to transition seamlessly between gadgets — however the place’s the journey in that?

Truthfully, all of my ideas appear to tie again to the concept of beginning recent with a brand new cellphone, however this final one is necessary. If you happen to’re going to revive your cellphone from a backup, ensure you’re not restoring every thing. There’s nothing worse than checking your 128 or 256GB of storage on the third day of getting a brand new cellphone and discovering that you simply’ve already crammed a bit of it with photos, information, and music from an previous backup.

As an alternative, I’d suggest restoring a number of of the images and movies you really need, perhaps every week’s value of messages, and beginning recent on music altogether. In spite of everything, if Spotify Wrapped has taught us something, it’s that our music tastes can change from yr to yr — and even inside a single yr. I solely obtain podcasts and playlists from Spotify after I’m gearing as much as journey, however I typically neglect to delete them afterward, even after I’ve already listened during. The very last thing I would like is for the ghosts of already-played podcasts to observe me from one gadget to the subsequent.

If you happen to’re extra treasured about restoring your images, you would possibly need to again them up by Google Images. That ought to maintain them within the cloud the place you’ll be able to simply entry and obtain those you need whereas ignoring previous screenshots and memes that — let’s face it — can go within the trash. I solely use Google Images backup on telephones that I plan to make use of lengthy after my evaluation interval, however that protects my library from the identical form of muddle.

On the finish of the day, altering telephones ought to by no means be a frightening or nerve-racking expertise. I do it greater than most individuals, and it nonetheless hasn’t pushed me loopy. If something, it’s given me extra of an opportunity to search out what I like and dislike about Android as an entire. I’ve realized what knowledge and apps I need to deliver with me from cellphone to cellphone and what I can safely depart behind with every recent begin.

My expertise with swapping Android telephones as typically as each two weeks has taught me lots about embracing change, too. It’s not possible for everybody to vary telephones on a regular basis, however it may be thrilling to strive a distinct model, whether or not you’re leaping from Samsung to Google or switching it up with OnePlus or Xiaomi. All 4 supply distinctive flavors of Android — flavors that you simply may not get if you happen to carry your whole knowledge and layouts with you every time you turn.

Whenever you do make the change to a brand new Android cellphone, whether or not massive or small, with two cameras or 4, keep it up for some time. Take the time to discover completely different layouts, dig deep into the settings menu, and actually make it really feel like your personal. Earlier than lengthy, you’ll work out the precise approach you need your cellphone arrange, and hopefully you received’t be tempted to swap telephones the subsequent time a brand new era rolls round — however that could be enjoyable, too, proper?